Visual Encounter

Sunday, June 7, 2015

I've just heard the most amazing story about a young Toronto woman who stumbled over some yellow garbage bags at the curb, and discovered that they were filled with unwanted photographs. Unwanted because they came from a photo lab, and apparently no-one had ever picked them up. So they had ended up in the trash.

Curious, as she was about them, and filled with a sense of breaking through the isolation of the city, she brought them home. She then started calling the owners whose numbers were still on the envelopes, and recorded her phone calls. The results were quite remarkable, and only a few people were rather indifferent or even dismissive. Most of them were willing to meet and gather their old, lost photographs which where probably full of memories.

Isn't that a fascinating story?! If you also want to listen to it: I heard it on CBC Radio One, in “In the Field”, broad casted on June 7, 2015 under the title “Objects of meaning, objects of burden”. The other stories are also worthwhile to listen to.

Facts:
From the CBC website:
In the Field | Jun 7, 2015 | 53:58 Objects of meaning, objects of burden

Lynne Cohen had a significant impact on the visual arts in Canada and the world at large. Born in Racine, Wisconsin, Cohen lived and worked in Canada since 1973. She held a teaching position within the Visual Arts Department at the University of Ottawa from 1974 until 2005. This exhibition, including Cohen’s colour and black and white photography, honours her legacy.http://www.ottawaartgallery.ca/content/lynne-cohen

The interactive video installation Terrors of the Breakfast Table, by Hamilton-based artist Tyler Tekatch, invites viewers to alter the story through the use of their breath. As a contribution to the medium of interactive digital media, Terrors of the Breakfast Table prioritizes conceptual content, the psychological experience of the viewer, and the natural presence of the viewer’s breathing body. The work of Tekatch is positioned within global experimental film practices. Using non-linear narrative and a collaged aesthetic approach, his moving image works are visceral and evocative. http://www.ottawaartgallery.ca/content/tyler-tekatch-terrors-breakfast-table

Mary E. Wrinch and the AGW Collection: Female Self-Representation and the Public TrustDates: May 30 – August 30, 2015Opening reception: June 4, 5:30 pm

Mary Evelyn Wrinch (1877-1969) was an important artist working in the Toronto during the first half of the twentieth century. As a single woman she earned her living as an art educator, presiding over the art department at Bishop Strachan School, Toronto where she worked from 1901 to 1935. Prior to the Group of Seven’s interest in Ontario’s northern landscapes, Wrinch was an outdoor enthusiast and owned a two-storey cottage at Kingwood, Lake of Bays, where she canoed and sketched. Her work in that geography included her painting wilderness and industrial scenes.http://www.ottawaartgallery.ca/content/mary-e-wrinch-and-agw-collection-female-self-representation-and-public-trust

Drew Mosley brings the forest to life in a series of works that both invite and unnerve. Using a technique involving painting on layers of resin, and combining at times found objects, he creates three-dimensional illustrations that tell the stories of fantastic forest-dwelling creatures. Mosley describes his works as frozen “moments of peril or safety, [where] anthropomorphized beasts struggle to fend off the encroachments of their two-legged foes.” Diorama features both new and installation-based pieces from Mosley’s body of work.An artist and carpenter living in Ottawa, Mosley spends his days juggling an extensive studio practice and a range of building and woodworking projects. His works have been exhibited in Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver and Greece.Artist website: www.drew-mosley.com

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

The Hasselblad Foundation has announced that German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans is the recipient of the 2015 Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography!

The Foundation’s citation:Wolfgang Tillmans has established himself among the most original and innovative artists of his generation, constantly pushing the photographic medium in new directions. His practice has covered subjects of pressing political and social importance since the 1990s, reflecting both directly and indirectly on the power of the photographic image to engage critically with the world around us. Furthermore, Tillmans has transformed the understanding of photographic exhibition making through his daring and original installations, playing with scale, formats, framing and presentation to produce immersive experiences that have inspired subsequent generations of artists.

The award ceremony takes place in Gothenburg on November 30, 2015. On December 1, 2015 an exhibition of Tillmans’ work will open at the Hasselblad Center, Sweden. On the same day, the Hasselblad Foundation will host a symposium with the award winner, and a new book by Tillmans will be released.

Glimpse into "If one thing matters, everything matters" (Wolfgang Tillmans, Tate Publishing, 2003). See all these post-its... I've studied that catalogue a lot!

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

In her artist statement, Durr describes her fascination with the beautiful but threatened underwater world: "Growing up in a landlocked state in the United States, I never saw an ocean nor was I comfortable swimming.

In the late 80’s an artist I knew was posted with her husband to Barbados. Upon visiting her, I heard about their coral reefs. Borrowing equipment and conquering my fears to learn to snorkel, I discovered the color and beauty of those reefs which captivated me then and still does now.

Over the years the reefs became my beautiful hidden place of wonder, a precious oasis, where I could soak in the peace and quiet and be revitalized.In recent years my art focused on issues of human waste and recycling. Driven by my awareness of the cycles of birth, death and rebirth, I have explored and reinvented the detritus of our industrial civilization into colorful multi-imaged prints to present a hopeful eye to our future. But, not only is our land environment endangered by our addiction to waste, but the oceans, reefs, and their inhabitants are endangered. With this body of work, I seek to illuminate symbolically our anthropogenic destruction, this impact of human actions on our water worlds." (source: http://www.artengine.ca/community/calendar-event-en.php?id=9245)

One of the large-scale paintings (acrylic and mixed media) by Pat Durr at Galerie St-Laurent + Hill, Ottawa

"My artworks are concerned with the worlds that surround us - the world of pop culture, and the natural and urban-industrial environments." (from Pat's website: http://artengine.ca/pdurr/) Facts: Pat Durr – To All Things There Is A Season Galerie St-Laurent + Hill, Ottawa Jan. 22 to Febr. 4, 2015

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Freezing cold in Ottawa – I can't wait for the great summer exhibit at the National Gallery of Canada: Alex Colville (1920-2013).

More than 100 works will be presented, and will give a remarkable overview and insight in his Oeuvre. If you don't want to wait, here's the link to the online exhibition: http://www.welcometocolville.ca/

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Kanata Civic Art Gallery's smalls show "A Little Something" takes place on on Saturday. Just in time for Christmas!
I actually couldn't see the works which will be on display on Saturday,
but my photos will give you an impression of works by Kanata artists
showing there:

About Me

Contemporary art and visual culture are my interests ever since I can remember.
Photography – not only fine art photography but also commercial photography – is my main focus and also my academic background.
This Blog deals with the visual encounter between the beholder and contemporary visual art; an encounter that can be at the same time challenging, disturbing, shocking, but also surprising and enlightening. Living as a German in Canada, I'm writing from an international perspective.
I am Ottawa based and review heterogeneous art forms like painting, photography, drawing, installation, environment art, film, and design. I will publish exhibition information and reviews here, along with ideas and commentary on what's going on in the Ottawa arts scene and beyond.
For comments, opinions and suggestions please contact me under anja.visualencounter[at]yahoo[dot]ca.

What's going on in the Arts

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